17{60 -acetoxy-7{60 -alkylthioprogesterones and production thereof

ABSTRACT

17 Alpha -Acetoxy-7 Alpha -alkylthioprogesterones of the formula:   WHEREIN R is a lower alkyl group useful as progestational agents, particularly suited for oral administration, which are prepared by reacting 17 Alpha -acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione with alkyl mercaptan in the presence of a catalytic substance, preferably a quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin.

United States Patent Kaneko et al.

[ 51 Aug. 1,1972

54 17a-ACETOXY-7a- ALKYLTHIOPROGESTERONES AND PRODUCTION THEREOF [72] Inventors: Hidehiko Kaneko; Yuzuru Yamamoto; Tatsuya Kon, all of Osaka-fu, Japan [73] Assignee: Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,

Osaka-shi, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1969 [21] Appl. No.2 866,013

[52] US. Cl ..260/397.4, 424/243 [51] Int. Cl ..C07c 169/32 [58] Field of Search ../Machine Searched Steroids;

Primary Examiner-Lewis Gotts Assistant Examiner-Ethel G. Love Attorney-Jacobs & Jacobs 57] ABSTRACT 17a-Acetoxy-7a-alky1thioprogesterones of the formula:

cm (i=0 Ky -000cm l wherein R is a lower alkyl groupuseful as progestational agents, particularly suited for oral administration, which are prepared by reacting l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione with alkyl mercaptan in the presence of a catalytic substance, preferably a quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin.

6 Claims, No Drawings 1 7a-ACETOXYJQ-ALKYLTHIOPROGESTERONES AND PRODUCTION THEREOF Wherein R is a lower alkyl group (e.g., methyl, ethyl, npropyl, isopropyl, n-butyl), the term lower being intended to mean the one having one to five carbon atoms. The l7a-acetoxy-7a-alky1-thioprogesterones [I] are novel and useful as progestational agents, particularly suited for oral administration.

According to the present invention, the 17a-acetoxy- 7a-alkylthioprogesterone [I] is prepared by reacting l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione with alkyl mercaptan (e.g., methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, n-propyl mercaptan, isopropyl mercaptan, n-butyl mercaptan) in the presence of a catalytic substance such as an acid (e.g., hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid) or a base (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium ethoxide, triethylamine, piperidine), if desired, in a solvent (e.g., methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, dimethylforrnamide).

Among various catalytic substances, the use of a quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin is particularly preferred in shortness in the reaction time, high yield of the product, easiness in separation of the catalyst from the reaction mixture, use of the catalyst with repetition and the like. Specific examples of such ion exchange resin include a hydrophilic resin (e.g., Amberlite IRA-441, Dowex 2X8), a hydrophobic resin (e.g., Amberlist A-29), etc.

When an ion exchange resin is employed as the catalyst, a mixture of the starting N' -steroid, the reagent alkyl mercaptan and the resin (in an equal to three time amount to the steroid), if desired, in the said solvent may be stirred at room temperature (e.g., 10 to 20C) overnight or heated at 50 to 80C for 2 to 5 hours so that the reaction preceeds with facility.

The 17a-acetoxy-7a-alkylthioprogesterones [1] thus produced generally exhibit an excellent progestational activity without any substantial androgenic or estrogenic action.

For instance, in the Clauberg test using rabbits [Journal of Physiology, 83, 145 (1935)], the progestational activity of l7a-acetoxy-7a-methylthioprogesterone [1: R CH is 10 times that of a known progestational agent, i.e., l7a-acetoxyprogesterone. Further, the former is 30 times as potent as the latter in the antiovaluational activity and six times as strong as the latter in the deciduomata formation activity. Other 17aacetoxy-7a-alkylthioprogesterones [I] possess the similar high progestational activity.

For the practical use of these 17a-acetoxy-7a-alky1- thioprogesterones [l] as progestational agents, they may be incorporated in a conventional dosage form such as powder, tablet, pill, capsule, solution, emulsion, suspension or the like along with the necessary pharmaceutically acceptable carrier material, excipient, lubricant, buffer or the like.

Practical and presently preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustratively shown in the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1 1 7a-Acetoxy-7a-methylthioprogesterone:

A mixture of methyl mercaptan (25 ml) and dioxane (25 ml) and quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin Amberlist A-29 (OH-type) (manufactured by Rohm & Haas Co.) (2.5 g) are added to l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione (3 g). The resultant mixture is stirred at room temperature for 24 hours and filtered to eliminate the ion exchange resin. The filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to give crude crystals (3.1 g) of the objective compound. Recrystallization from methanol affords pure crystals (2.8 g) melting at 200 to 203C. [11],, -4.9 (C 1.4 in chloroform). A??? 240 ,u. (6: 15,400). Anal. Calcd. for C H O S;C, 68,86,1 1, 8.19; S, 7.66. Found:C,68.70; H, 8.21; S, 7.56.

EXAMPLE 2 l 7a-Acetoxy-7a-ethylthioprogesterone:

Ethyl mercaptan (100 ml) and quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin Amberlist A-29 (OH-type) (manufactured by Rohm & Haas Co.) (5 g) are added to 17a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione (5 g), and the resulting mixture is heated with reflux for 2 hours. After removal of the ion exchange resin by filtration, the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to give crude crystals (5.5 g) of the objective compound. Recrystallization from acetone afiords pure crystals (5.2 g) melting at 224 to 227C. [a],, -l9.9 (C 1.00 in chloroform). RES? 241 ,u. (e: 16,700). Anal. Calcd. for C H O S: C, 69.40; H, 8.39; S, 7.41. Found: C, 69.45; H, 8.25; S, 7.28.

EXAMPLE 3 l 7aAcetoxy-7a-n-propylthioprogesterone:

n-Propyl mercaptan ml) and quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin Amberlite IRA-441 (OH-type) (manufactured by Rohm & Haas Co.) (3 g) are added to 17a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione (3 g), and the resultant mixture is heated at 50C for 3 hours while stirring. After removal of the ion exchange resin by filtration, the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to give crude crystals (3.2 g) of the objective compound. Rescrystallization from acetone affords pure crystals (3.0 g) melting at 191 to 193C. [01],, -29.8 (C 0.99 in chloroform). M31?" 241 p. (6: 16,800). Anal. Calcd. for C H O S: C, 69.91; H, 8.58; S, 7.18. Found: C, 69.80; H, 8.38; S, 6.98.

EXAMPLE 4 l 7a-Acetoxy-7a-isopropylthioprogesterone:

Isopropyl mercaptan (80 m1) and quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin Amberlist A-29 (OH- type) (manufactured by Rohm & Haas Co.) (3 g) are added to 17a-acetoxy-pregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione (3 g), and the resultant mixture is heated at 60C for 3 hours while stirring. After removal of the ion exchange resin by filtration, the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to give crude crystals (3.3 g) of the objective compound. Recrystallization from acetone affords pure crystals (3.1 g) melting at 215 to 218C. [01],, 27.9 (C 1. 11 in chloroform). A552 241 #(e: 16,710). Anal. Calcd. for C d-1 8: C, 69.91; H, 8.58; S, 7.18. Found: C, 69.83; H, 8.59; S, 6.88.

EXAMPLE l 7a-Acetoxy-7a-butylthioprogesterone:

n-butyl mercaptan (80 ml) and quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin Amberlist A-29 (OH-type) (manufactured by Rohm & Haas Co.) (3 g) are added to l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20-dione (3 g), and the resultant mixture is heated at 60C for 3 hours while stirring. After removal of the ion exchange resin by filtration, the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure to give crude crystals (3.4 g) of the objective compound. Recrystallization from acetone-hexane affords pure crystals (3.2 g) melting at 132 to 133C. [01] 29.7 (C 1.19 in chloroform). R223 241 pt (e: 16,780). Anal. Calcd. for C l-l O S: C, 70.39; H, 8.75; S, 6.96. Found: C, 70.65; H, 8.87; S, 6.80.

EXAMPLE 6 Ingredients 1 7a-Acetoxy-7or-methylthioprogesterone Lactose Gelatin Corn starch Magnesium stearate Talc EXAMPLE 7 Ingredients Grams l 7a-Acetoxy-7a-methylthioprogesterone 5.0 Lactose 55.0 Gelatin 1.0 Corn starch 33.05 Magnesium stearate 0.4 Talc 5.5 Ethynyl estradiol 0.05

The above materials are mixed together, granulated and tableted in accordance with a conventional method to give 1,000 tablets, each of which weighs milligrams.

The starting l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20- dione used for the preparation of l7oz-acetoxy-7a-alkylthioprogesterones in the present invention is known [Gazz.Chim. ltal.,91,545 (1961)].

What is claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of a l7a acetoxy-7 a-alkylthioprogesterone wherein the alkylthio group contains from one to five carbon atoms which comprises allowing l7a-acetoxypregna-4,6-diene-3,20- dione to react with an alkyl mercaptan having from one to five carbon atoms in the presence of a quaternary ammonium type ion exchange resin.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is methyl mercaptan.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower mercaptan is ethyl mercaptan.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is n-propyl mercaptan.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is isopropyl mercaptan.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is n-butyl mercaptan. 

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is methyl mercaptan.
 3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower mercaptan is ethyl mercaptan.
 4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is n-propyl mercaptan.
 5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is isopropyl mercaptan.
 6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower alkyl mercaptan is n-butyl mercaptan. 